the entrance to the Great Umayyad Mosque, both Damascus’ oldest and most impressive building
At the end of our trip we finally spend time in Damascus. Less than 48 hours, by far not enough, of course, but we do get to wander around. Thankfully, although the outskirts of town also show quite some war damage, the centre, especially the Old Town, has been spared the ravage we have seen in so many other Syrian cities. Our hotel, the one we already stayed the first few nights, is a pleasant surprise, a refurbished old Damascene house with several court yards, a swimming pool and well equipped rooms – except that mine is also populated by a colony of fleas!
the swimming pool in our hotel, a refurbished Damascene house
and an alcove in the same hotel, tastefully furnished
in the outer wall of the mosque courtyard, an ancient Roman entrance to the Jupiter temple, now closed off.
The two main attractions we visit are the Great Umayyad Mosque and the souk. The mosque has been built on the site of an Aramean temple from the 9th C BC, which was subsequently incorporated in the Roman Temple of Jupiter, in the 1st C BC. The traces of the Roman structure are still clearly visible, especially at the outside of the wall, where big building blocks form the lower part, and several now defunct, and closed up, entrances have a distinctly Roman character, too. The Christians than turned the inner part of the temple into a large Cathedral in the 4th C, and even though the Muslims made it a mosque in the 8th C, the building still looks very much like a basilica, with its large dome in the middle and three large aisles on either side, separated by two rows of columns.
the mosque inside, looks a lot like an old church
and just in case you weren’t convinced yet, this is the structure of a basilica, for all intents and purposes
a mirhab inside the mosque, which does show its own character through intricate decoration
the Ku Klux Klan in blue, just to ensure no bare legs are visible, and no ladies’ shapes
the large courtyard of the Great Umayyad Mosque
Inside the mosque is a very relaxed atmosphere: some people praying, but others just chatting away, children running around playing, effortlessly moving between the women’s and the men’s sections. People are charging their phones, they are having something to eat, nothing like the subdued, serene and serious air usually associated with a church or cathedral. Of course, the mosque is largely empty, and decorations limit themselves to coloured glass in the windows. John the Baptists has its tomb here, also revered by Muslims, and there is even an old marble baptismal font. The funniest part is the women tourists, those who are not properly covered, and the men, wearing shorts: they have to wear long, heavy cloaks, to show respect. Kind of Ku Klux Klan in blue.
with one of its smaller structures beautifully decorated
In fact the outside of the mosque, the courtyard, is more impressive. Whole sections of wall, and of vaults over the entrance, have been decorated with green and gold mosaics, some restored in the 19th and 20th C, but those above the entrance still being the originals of the 14th C. The rest of the spacious courtyard is equally nice, in part laid with beautiful marble mosaic in very complex geometrical shapes.
and not only the smaller structures, this facade of the main hall is also intricately laid in with mosaics
the most impressive, though, are the mosaics above the entrance
image of a house, or a temple perhaps
and more houses, in a brightly coloured mosaic
detailed images of daily life
the actual entrance of the covered souk
remains of the Jupiter temple are the entrance to the present-day souk
balcony shop – paradise for collectors – at the enrance of the souk
At the entrance to the souk, opposite the mosque, are further remains of the Temple of Jupiter, in the form of several Roman columns. Inside is a long covered street, with a high roof of corrugated iron, and with the usual souk-type business: sweets, spices, and all manner of cloths, including a remarkably large number of shops selling wedding dresses. Great atmosphere, although, in my view, it doesn’t meet the atmosphere of the souks in Tabriz and Teheran, in Iran, and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, they are in a different category altogether. Some of the side souks, if I may call it that way, do actually have a stone cover, and the area-specific black and white building blocks we have seen elsewhere in Syria, and we also know so well from Diyarbakir in south-east Turkey. Perhaps these were originally khans, the bonded warehouses and accommodation for 18th C traders, and have now been incorporated in the overall shopping paradise.
inside, lots of colourful products under the iron roof
like spices
and all kind of sweets
young boys happy to pose for the picture
there is a curious focus on wedding dresses in the souk
the main alley in the souk, full of people
more on the roof structure
a side souk, with a stone structure
lots of materials available – but the sellers are all men, of course
and another highlight, the ice cream shop
and, somewhat surprisingly, all kind of products are for sale
the fountain in the Khan Asad Pasha
and a section of the restaurant
One of the khans that are still their distinctly own entity, is the Khan Asad Pasha, also linked to the souk. Same black and white, but here fabulously restored into a spacious restaurant-bar, where you find a serene peace from the busy souk. A fountain in the middle, a first floor gallery providing beautiful views downwards, tables where smooth waiters serve cold, albeit non-alcoholic drinks, and a paradise for black-market foreign exchange, what else do you want?
But there is more to Damascus.
great overview of the Khan Asad Pasha
Very beautiful buildings and not destroyed!